Official NHL Off-Season Thread 2011

[Jypfan92]

Ericsson stays next 3 seasons in Detroit. New deal is worth 9.75 mills.

Washington bought Sloan's contract out.

San Jose resigned McGinn and McLaren

[Jypfan92]

Transaction news:

Josh Harding stays next season in Minnesota. New contract is worth 0.75 mills.

Vancouver resigned Sami Salo with one-year-deal, worth 2 mills.

Detroit made 1.2-mill-deal with Patrick Eaves.

Columbus made 6-year-contract with Wisniewski, worth 33 mills.

Higgins will play next 2 years in Vancouver. New deal is worth 1.9 mills.

Pittsburgh resigned Kennedy. New 2-year-deal is worth 4 mills.

Islanders made entry level contract with Kabanov.

[bruins72]

Is Florida nuts?

Jovanovski's deal in FLA is $16.5M over four years. He's 35 years old (or somewhere there abouts)!

[Círyatan]

Is Florida nuts?

Jovanovski's deal in FLA is $16.5M over four years. He's 35 years old (or somewhere there abouts)!

I presume they want to reach the cap floor... but 4 years is pure madness. No contender would've given him that. Anyways, good for Ed, that's a pretty penny for his retirement, especially considering the money he was earning up to now in Phoenix...

[philou21]

Big deal for Jovanovski, he's probably happy that Florida got cap issues.

Jarg and Talbot goes to Philly. What a surprise to see Jagr there, was he in any rumors about Philly?

D'Agostini signed a 2 years deal with St-Louis.

It seems that Richards is a top priority for MTL. Weird, I don't even know if they got cap space....maybe Gomez or Spacek are on the buy out or the trade block, even if nobody probably wants them....Maybe the Panthers?

Colorado acquired Varlamov from WSH for a first pick and a second round pick. WSH probably prefer Neuvirth and that young guy Holtby. Now Colorado have Elliot, Varlamov and is Budaj under contract? That's alot of goalies. I still think they shouldn't have traded Anderson.

Finally Halpern goes back to WSH.

[Manimal]

Colorado acquired Varlamov from WSH for a first pick and a second round pick. WSH probably prefer Neuvirth and that young guy Holtby. Now Colorado have Elliot, Varlamov and is Budaj under contract? That's alot of goalies. I still think they shouldn't have traded Anderson.

Both Elliott and Budaj were UFAs(Budaj signed with your darlings!)
Trading Anderson was a tank-move. It got them Landeskog

[philou21]

2 minutes after I posted this they said it on TV! I didn't knew either that Elliot was UFA. Habs also signed Eric Cole 4 years worth 18 millions I think. I really didn't see this one come!

Pouliot is going to Boston! Let see what he can do with a real offensive team now.

Harmlik signed a 2 years deal with WSH.

[Manimal]

Habs also signed Eric Cole 4 years worth 18 millions I think. I really didn't see this one come!

The smurfs could really use his size

[philou21]

At least they signed someone with a size, that already an exploit. I'm just not sure about the 4 years deal.


Soooooooooooo Mr Tallon is on fire to get his team over the cap! Upshall, 4 years deal worth 14 millions and Fleishmann a 4 years deal worth 18 millions.

[Jypfan92]

Leino goes to Buffalo with 6-year-contract, worth 27 mills.

Sean Bergenheim goes to Florida with 4-year-contract, worth 11 mills.

[Jypfan92]

Richards goes to Rangers with massive contract, 9 years and 6.7 mills a year.

[philou21]

Only 6.7 millions a year? I would've expected a 8-9.

[Danny]

the glass man signs in Toronto

[philou21]

The other one in L.A.

[Manimal]

What the Dickens? Vokoun signed a one-year deal with the Caps at only $1.5 million

[Jypfan92]

MInnesota acquire Heatley from San Jose for Martin Havlat.

[racicot]

I'm really shocked by the Vokoun deal. That guy has credentials, and although he is aging, 1.5M is an absolute steal. The habs are paying Peter "the Slovakian Sieve" Budaj 1.25M to sit on the bench. If I were Pierre Gauthier, I would have paid Vokoun double that to play in a 1B role. He's worth at least 3M in my books.

Washington just got a heck of a lot better for no cap hit. How in the world can Mike Smith be making 1.3 times what Vokoun is being paid!? This might just be proof of Vokoun's desire to play as a number one goalie for a competitive team over money. I love when players do that; when winning is more important than a paycheque, you know their heart's in the right place.

Scratching my head over the Heatley deal. I know he had a rough season last year, but he was dynamite in 09-10. I guess his attitude problem is well documented, so we shouldn't be too surprised with this move. Havlat is made of glass, and I always thought he was terribly overrated. We'll have to wait and see I guess.

[Loosie]

Toronto aquireds Cody Franson and Matthew Lombardi for Bertt Lebda and Robert Slaney. There's also a conditional 4th rounder that depends on the health status of Lombardi.

[Jypfan92]

That trade may sound stupid in Preds point of view but they really need cap space for Weber, O'Reilly, Spaling, Kostitsyn and maybe 1-2 decent forwards at this summer. There was also 2 years left in Lombardi's 3.5 million-contract and they have to resign Suter and Rinne before next July.

[philou21]

Scratching my head over the Heatley deal. I know he had a rough season last year, but he was dynamite in 09-10. I guess his attitude problem is well documented, so we shouldn't be too surprised with this move. Havlat is made of glass, and I always thought he was terribly overrated. We'll have to wait and see I guess.

I was shocked when I read that news today but I thought the same thing as you on Heatley attitude problem. It's probably the only reason a team will get rid of a player like him.

[Jypfan92]

SJ wanted to get out of Heatley's expensive contract by getting player, who can score similar and is a bit cheaper.

[Manimal]

SJ wanted to get out of Heatley's expensive contract by getting player, who can score similar and is a bit cheaper.

Plus the fact that he dissappears in the play-offs

[philou21]

SJ wanted to get out of Heatley's expensive contract by getting player, who can score similar and is a bit cheaper.

When Heatley is in good shape he can score 40 goals and 90-100 pts. Havlat is no way near that. It's the attitude of Heatley, I'm sure of it and alot of media mentioned it.

[batdad]

1. Tomas Vokoun priced himself out of the market. Noone wanted to pay him that much. He thought when Bryz got crazy $, he could get crazy $. THere is an article somehwere out there where Tomas even admits that is what happened. He hardly had any offers because he and his agent asked too much. (One was from Florida, and Colorado had one on the table, that they pulled off it when made Varlamov deal). Mr Vokoun is not as loved as he thought he was.

Voloun actually called Washington himself. Washington did not start the process. He did not have a job, needed one and took what he could get. He got lucky that Washington was actually interested in him. So...I am not shocked at all by the price.

2. Heatley-Havlat. Havlat deal is LONGER than Heatley. 3 years left on Heatley, 4 on Havlat. Havlat has a lower hit by 2 million. Both players are not liked by teammates with their former clubs. Both players underachieved. Heatley is not good for 40 goals. He may get 40 goals, but in all likelihood 30. Havlat is a WAY better defensive player AND a way better skater. He also is a better person than Heatley. I expect Havlat to excel in a 2nd or 3 line role and on 2nd PP.

Heatley in Minnesota? What does he have to play with? Setoguchi and Koivu. He will never get the puck. Could be a career worst year for him.

3. Blackhawks-I love what they have done. Andrew Brunette, Jamal Mayers, Steve Montador, Sean O'Donnell, Dan Carcillo (can do with or without him..but he has a role). Team needs the veteran guidance these guys will provide. Still too young. They are all bit strong bangers and bashers. Exactly what the Hawks needed. This team just put themselves back in SC Cup challenge mode. They still have to find spots for Frolik. But they are pretty set on the blue line with Keith and Seabrook eating 25 minutes each. Plus Hjalmarsson. add in O'Donnell Montador and Leddy. Wow. This team looks good

4. LA KINGS--Who cannot be scared by these guys? Kopitar. Plus reuniting Richards-Gagne-Williams. Ouch. This team is going to be tough to play against.

[racicot]

I agree that the hawks blueline looks good, but to me, Carcillo and Mayers will be of little value. The only upgrade they did up front was Brunette, and he's aging a bit. Still, I don't deny they will be a better team next year, but I still don't like their scoring depth, especially after losing Troy Brouwer to Washington.

Washington, now that's a scary team. How's this for a starting lineup

Forwards
Ovechkin
Backstrom
Semin
Laich
Knuble
Fehr
Ward
Johansson
Brouwer
Hendricks
Chimera
Halpern

Defence
Green Hamrlik
Carlson Alzner
Wideman Schultz
(Poti Erskine) Extras

Goal
Vokoun
Neuvirth
Holtby

The 2011-2012 Eastern Conference Champions.